Pizza Cupcakes

published Apr 1, 2022
individual pizzas in the shape of cupcakes on a wooden cutting board
Credit: Laura Rege

Kid friendly, adult approved, these adorable mini pizza cupcakes are even easier to make than pizza.

Serves8

Prep10 minutes

Cook16 minutes to 18 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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individual pizzas in the shape of cupcakes on a wooden cutting board
Credit: Laura Rege

These kid-friendly and adult-approved mini pizza cupcakes are easier to make than pizza and don’t even require a plate. Don’t worry — the term cupcake just refers to the cute shape and size of these pizza cups (read: these aren’t meant for dessert). Instead these cupcakes are for the person who enjoys savory snacks, easy dinners, or just another way to eat pizza, something most of us just can’t get enough of.

What Are Pizza Cupcakes?

Pizza cupcakes are like mini deep-dish pizzas prepared with crescent roll dough, pizza sauce, mozzarella, and miniature pepperoni to mimic a cupcake in size and shape.

The Best Pizza Cupcake Toppings

Just like your average pizza, the toppings for these pizza cupcakes are versatile. One tip here, though, is unlike regular pizza, all the toppings must already be cooked and patted dry if there is any excess moisture. That’s because these pizza cupcakes cook at a much lower temperature than pizza cooked at a pizzeria.

How to Make Pizza Cupcakes

You’ll roll out the crescent dough and press the perforated seams together to form it into one uniform piece of dough. Then you’ll use a knife or pizza cutter to slice the crescent dough into 8 squares. You’ll grease a muffin tin, press the crescent dough squares into 8 wells of the tin, and layer in the mozzarella, mini pepperoni, and pizza sauce. The cupcakes are finished with extra mozzarella and pepperoni and baked until golden and the cheese is gooey. Finish them off with an optional dash of red pepper flakes and oregano before serving.

What Dough Do You Make Pizza Cupcakes With?

The best dough for this recipe is store-bought refrigerated crescent dough.

Credit: Laura Rege

How to Store Pizza Cupcakes

Store any uneaten pizza cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Pizza Cupcakes Recipe

Kid friendly, adult approved, these adorable mini pizza cupcakes are even easier to make than pizza.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 16 minutes to 18 minutes

Serves 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray

  • All-purpose flour, for dusting

  • 1 (8-ounce) can

    refrigerated crescent rolls

  • 1 cup

    shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese, divided

  • 1/2 cup

    pizza sauce

  • 1/3 cup

    mini pepperoni slices, divided

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    dried oregano (optional)

Instructions

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  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-well muffin tin with cooking spray.

  2. Dust a work surface lightly with flour. Unroll 1 can crescent dough on the work surface. Pinch the perforated seams together. Cut into 8 squares. Line 8 of the muffin wells with the dough by pressing a dough square into the bottom and up the sides of each one.

  3. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese into the dough cups (about 1 tablespoon per well). Spoon 1/2 cup pizza sauce over the cheese (1 tablespoon per well). Top with half of a 1/3 cup mini pepperoni slices. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and mini pepperoni.

  4. Bake until the dough golden-brown and cooked through, and the cheese is melted and bubbly, 16 to 18 minutes. Sprinkle the pizza cupcakes with 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano if desired. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from muffin tins and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.